KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST, NEWS STREAM: I’m Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Welcome to “News Stream.” We’ve got some breaking news for you later this hour, an unexpected address Theresa May is now preparing to speak before Parliament on the eve of a critical vote. What is she going to say? Also in the program, chilling last words. CNN is briefed on the audio recording transcript that describes Jamal Khashoggi’s final moments, and the cost of beef, how meat production is taking an extraordinary toll on the fight against climate change.

Now, the United Kingdom is waiting to see what the British Prime Minister Theresa May’s next move will be in getting her Brexit deal through Parliament. The Prime Minister is now due to make a statement to Parliament with more detail in just over two hours. Now, this was unexpected. This was just announced earlier today.

In fact, earlier today her spokesman insisted that the vote would go ahead as scheduled on Tuesday night, dismissing the claims that were circulating out there that it could be delayed. The situation is still visibly fluid, very much in flux. The uncertainty over the vote comes after an important decision from the European Union’s top court.

It has ruled that Britain has the right to unilaterally withdraw its notice to leave the EU up until the time the withdrawal agreement is concluded. Now, we’re joined now by Nina dos Santos outside Parliament, and also we have Hadas Gold in the town of Southend-on-Sea, which voted for Brexit, but now may be changing its mind. Let’s go straight to Nina.

Nina, a day before the vote, we have this ruling from the European Court of Justice. How does it change the Brexit path forward and is that the reason why Theresa May is now due to make a statement in the hours ahead?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Apologies, Kristie, it’s quite hard to hear you. As you can imagine with these Brexit protesters behind us, let me just take my earpiece out as well because I can hear myself at the same time. Yes, as you said, this is very significant news. We have seemed to have had it confirmed now that Theresa May is going to be delaying the vote and addressing the House of Commons to explain the logic behind that.

That address is likely to take place at about 3:30 p.m. local time here in the UK and she will be followed by the leader of the House of Commons and other key Cabinet Minister of hers who is pro Brexit, that being Andrea Leadsom, and then the statement will be rounded up by another pro Brexit junior member of the Cabinet who is the third Brexit Secretary she has had since this process began.

As you were pointing out before in your introduction, the European Court of Justice’s decision this very morning is significant because what it does is it will embolden people like these protesters behind us here outside Westminster who are demanding a second vote on the issue of Brexit. Now, what they have is the idea that the Supreme Court of Justice in the European Union is saying the UK is able to extricate itself from the Brexit procedure if it wants unilaterally.

So without having to convince other 27 member states to go on board with that and that they can maintain crucially the same terms and conditions that they have at the moment. That is significant. The big question is if this vote is delayed, when will it be delayed to? We have a key EU Summit that’s taking place in a couple of days’ time. It may well have to be after that. If she comes back from Brussels with something that her MPs can vote for, Kristie.

LU STOUT: So according to a source telling CNN, Theresa May will be speaking shortly, she is due to call for a delay in that crucial Brexit vote that was due to take place originally tomorrow. Let’s talk more about what happens next. When possibly could the vote be rescheduled to? Is this merely kicking the can down the road?

DOS SANTOS: Well, what we have is an EU Summit that’s taking place on the 13th and 14th of December, so later on this week. The logic here if she delays the vote is largely because the MPs on all sides of the political spectrum here have made it very clear that they have one particular issue that they have crystallized upon with her Brexit deal and it is the uncomfortable arrangement surrounding the legal technicalities of the backstop between - so we are talking about this insurance policy agreement to try and prevent there being a hard border between the Republic of Ireland, which will remain in the EU and Northern Ireland that will remain inside the UK.

Currently, as the arrangement stands. After the government was forced last week into this humiliating capitulation where it had to publish the full legal opinion of the Attorney General and that made it clear that Northern Ireland could potentially end up in a different customs arrangement indefinitely from the rest of the UK. That is something that many MPs have said now that they’ve seen that paper that they feel they can’t vote for this. Could she come back from Brussels with some mollification on that stance ...

[08:05:02]

DOS SANTOS: ... for the UK to extricate itself on its own terms not on the EU’s terms? That will be crucial. Potentially delaying this vote could come until after the 14th, maybe a date like the 18th is circulating, but at this moment we just don’t have it confirmed. What we can say is that she’s going to be addressing the House of Commons in a few hours’ time. Once she does that presumably, if she delays the vote she may well give an idea of the date -- Kristie?

LU STOUT: Okay, for more on this breaking news story, thank you, Nina dos Santos, joining us live outside Parliament. We have Anna Stewart joining us live from 10 Downing Street and Anna, this again, according to a source telling us that Prime Minister Theresa May will be calling for this delay in this crucial Brexit vote that was originally due to take place tomorrow. What more have you heard from this source? Any confirmation at all?

ANNA STEWART, REPORTER, CNN: Well, what is so interesting, Kristie, is all weekend we heard that this vote was likely to be delayed and then from Downing Street, they were adamant, right up until really midmorning today that it would go ahead. So this has come as quite the reversal. We do expect that statement to come at 3:30 in Parliament.

For remainers within Theresa May’s party, they will be somewhat relieved, perhaps they will see this as a way that she can get more support on board before it goes to a vote, because she was certainly expected to lose it and probably by quite a large margin, but for the Brexiteers in her party who already feel like she has not necessarily done a good enough job, they will be furious because they see this perhaps as Theresa May trying to save her own skin rather than fighting and putting this through and letting Parliament have their say and seeing what comes out of it.

We don’t have more information in the fact that it will be delayed. As Nina was saying, it’s interesting to see what will happen next in terms of the procedure. Will the debate continue for today, for tomorrow? And we are running out of time frankly, Kristie, because this legislation does need to go through Parliament by a certain stage before the UK leaves the EU at the end of March. So we’ve got Christmas coming, so this could ruin a few politicians Christmas, I reckon, but we will find out more in just a few hours.

LU STOUT: And public reaction and one barometer of that is the reaction we saw on the markets, especially looking at the British pound and how it has performed when the media reports started to circulate about Prime Minister May potentially delaying this vote, if she is going to announce that, if she is going to do that, to shore up more support behind her Brexit plan, it seems looking at that big red arrow on our screens, it seems that there is a lot of skepticism out there about whether she would still be able to do that.

STEWART: Yes, certainly, and particularly for investors the falling sterling was very interesting, particularly as I heard some analysts suggest that if it was delayed, sterling may actually strengthen. But of course, this makes it more likely that there is more uncertainty for businesses going ahead. Many months ahead perhaps.

So investors have reacted quite badly. It will be interesting to see how it behaves when she actually makes that statement, whether she has got any more clarifications that may soothe investor fears that may soothe public fears that may soothe the fears of her own party, Kristie.

LU STOUT: All right. Anna Stewart reporting live from 10 Downing Street. Thank you. Now, we have Hadas Gold joining us from the Brexit heartland of Southend-on-Sea, and Hadas, this area was firmly leave strong hold when it voted for Brexit, how do they feel now given all the uncertainty out there?

HADAS GOLD, CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Right, Kristie. In 2016, this area, Southend-on-Sea on the east coast of England voted around 54% to 55% in favor of Brexit. We’ve been talking to people along the high street here all morning and the most overarching comment we get from all of them is just frustration. Whether they voted to remain, whether they voted leave, is just they are frustrated with the politicians, they are frustrated with the politicians. Take a listen to what some of them told us just this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Brexit is being shot in the foot already. We all voted to leave and that’s how it should be, we should leave. Enough votes. Nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the decision is of our hands. It is what it is and whatever they decide, we’re going to have to ride the storm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: And actually that last gentleman we talked to told us that he voted to leave in 2016, but if there was another referendum today, he would vote to remain. And he wasn’t the only one who gave us that sentiment. People who decided that they would vote differently after what they’ve seen over the past two years and especially in these last few days with this sort of chaos and this inability it seems to get any sort of deal done -- Kristie?

LU STOUT: Chaos is the word. Chaos and turbulence in what was supposed to be a key week for Brexit. Hadas Gold, Anna Stewart, Nina dos Santos, we thank you, all three of you, for your reporting. Take care.

Now, in Paris, France’s President Emmanuel Macron may not be having a much easier morning than his British counterpart. He is hosting unions, politicians, and protest leaders for talks in an effort to regain the upper hand in the wake of those yellow vest protests. This evening he is due to address the nation.

[08:10:05]

LU STOUT: Dramatic scenes like this one played out across France for the fourth weekend in a row. Shutting down much of the capital and leaving 135 people injured. France and Europe more broadly will be watching to see if Mr. Macron can reassert control in the hours ahead.

You’re watching “News Stream” and still ahead right here on the program, CNN has been provided new details from the audio recording that captured the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and a new week and a whole new set of challenges, the reports, rumors and revelations that are rocking the White House this hour.

Coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back, you’re watching “News Stream.” Now, prosecutors in Tokyo have indicted Nissan Motor’s former Chairman, Carlos Ghosn for allegedly underreporting his pay. Nissan and its former executive, Greg Kelly were also indicted. The indictment comes three weeks after Ghosn and Kelly were arrested on charges of significant acts of misconduct at the company.

Prosecutors say the two men collaborated to underreport Ghosn’s income over the past five years by some $44 million - that is about half his pay.

China’s anger is growing over the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive wanted by the United States. Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou is set to learn whether she will get bail when a hearing resumes in Canada later on Monday. Reuters reports Meng is seeking to be released on bail saying she suffers from severe hypertension. Meng faces extradition to the U.S. where she is accused of helping Huawei dodge U.S. sanctions on Iran. She is says she is innocent and will content the allegations at trial if she is extradited.

Huawei was founded by Meng’s founder and is one of the world’s biggest makers of smart phones and networking equipment. Her arrest has put a new strain on U.S.-China relations just as both countries try to hammer out a deal to end their trade war. We will have more on both these stories, Carlos Ghosn, as well as Meng Wanzhou along with the opening bell on Wall Street coming up on “First Move with Julia Chatterley” that starts in less than an hour.

Another top U.S. Republican is breaking with the White House and slamming Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On CNN’s “State of the Union” Senator Marco Rubio said there is no way the Saudi Crown Prince wasn’t aware of the killing and that he very likely ordered it. His comments come after U.S. Senators were briefed by the CIA on its assessment of Khashoggi’s killing. They were horrified and said so publicly.

[08:15:02]

LU STOUT: Now a source has given CNN a briefing on the transcript of an audio recording capturing Khashoggi’s final moments inside the Saudi consulate. Nic Robertson was provided with details of the transcript reproduced in this report of that audio and it correlates with the CIA finding that the Saudi team was sent to Istanbul with the intent to kill.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR, CNN: CNN can now reveal Jamal Khashoggi’s last words. “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” These previously undisclosed details of what happened that afternoon in October come from a source who has been briefed on the investigation. The source has read a full transcript of an audio recording of Khashoggi’s horrific final moments.

Within moments of his fateful steps into the consulate, Khashoggi recognizes someone, asks why they are there, the answer, “You are coming back.” According to CNN’s source, the Turkish transcript identifies that person as Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a former Saudi diplomat and intelligence official working for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman whom Khashoggi knew.

Khashoggi is clearly alarmed and replies, “You can’t do that. People are waiting outside for me.” According to the source, the conversation ends right there, the transcript indicates noises as people set upon Khashoggi and very quickly Khashoggi can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.” He repeats it again, “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” What happens belies initial Saudi claims his death was a grave mistake.

CNN’s source says it’s clear from his reading of the transcript Khashoggi’s murder was no botched rendition attempt, but the execution of a premeditated plan to murder the journalist. But it is what happens next that is really horrific.

The transcript records many voices and noises, then says, “Scream from Jamal.” Again, “scream.” Then, gasping. Noises are identified as “saw” and “cutting.” Then a voice Turkish authorities identify as Salah Mohammed al-Tubaigy, the Head of Forensic Medicine at Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry. He says, “If you don’t like the noise, put your earphones in or listen to music, like me.”

According to the source, Mutreb, the apparent leader of the team makes at least three phone calls during the murder to a number Turkish officials identify as being in the Saudi Royal Court, only Mutreb’s side of the conversation can be heard, but there is no sense of panic or of an operation gone wrong.

CNN reached out to Saudi officials to get a response from those named in this report and we’re told Saudi security officials have reviewed the transcript and tape and nowhere in them is there any reference or indication of a call being made. A Saudi source close to the Saudi investigation says both Mutreb and Tubaigy deny making phone calls. While the transcript provides no smoking gun directly tying Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to the killing it seems to echo Senator Lindsey Graham’s sentiments after hearing the CIA’s assessment of Khashoggi’s killing. There is not a smoking gun, there is a smoking saw. Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

LU STOUT: CNN shared our source’s detailed description with the office of the senator who was briefed by the CIA last week. We were told that the CNN reported the transcript was consistent with the briefing that the senator received. “The New York Times” is reporting that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner offered the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman advice on how to, quote, “weather the storm” after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

White House protocol requires national security council staff be present on all phone calls with foreign leaders, but “The Times” reports that Kushner and Bin Salman continued chatting informally following the death of Khashoggi.

[08:20:00]

LU STOUT: The White House did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on the story, but in a statement, a spokesman told “The Times,” that quote, “Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with the Crown Prince and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts.” Unquote. The White House declined to explain those guidelines to “The Times.”

Now, to the White House where Donald Trump could be facing the greatest threat to his presidency yet. For the first time since taking office, prosecutors have tied the President directly to Federal crimes.

Those prosecutors say Mr. Trump directed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen to make illegal hush payments to two women who claimed they had affairs with Mr. Trump. We’ve also learned that Cohen spoke to a Russian contact in November of 2015 who offered, quote, “political synergy” and another revelation, there are these new documents about the lies allegedly told by the former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. All this comes at a critical time with the White House preparing for a major staffing change, and the big question, who is going to replace John Kelly as Chief of Staff?

Now that the hot favorite has turned down the role. CNN political analyst Seung Min Kim is in Washington and she joins us now. Thank you for joining us.

SEUNG MIN KIM, POLITICAL ANALYST, CNN: Thanks for having me.

LU STOUT: Let’s first talk about Trump’s response on Twitter. It’s interesting because he’s firing back as usual and he is all over the place with fake news is the enemy of the people, he is retweeting no smoking gun, collusion is an illusion. He’s trying really hard to control and to steer the narrative, but is the Russia cloud just getting darker and darker and just too overwhelming for him to navigate?

KIM: Well, he has been trying to do this with the Mueller probe for some time. We have seen repeatedly time and again how he has discredited the special counsel’s investigation, calling it fake news, calling it a witch- hunt, calling it a band of angry old Democrats, which is not accurate. But you do see how the legal filings that we saw filed late last week really shows this big legal cloud that is enveloping the Trump administration when it comes to these dual issues, whether it’s these hush payments to the women who have alleged to have affairs with him and also on the Russia matter.

What we saw the President react as - how he has been reacting last week, in advance of the filings or right after the filings, he said, “Totally clears the President.” That’s not true as we all know. The filings directly implicate the President in these matters in the one matter, and he’s going to continue to decry the Mueller investigation because that’s been the strategy for the legal team for some time, really bring down the public confidence in the special counsel’s investigation with voters and make this a political fight, not necessarily a legal one.

LU STOUT: Yes, the legal cloud is getting bigger, now the U.S. President directly implicated and Robert Mueller increasingly showing the cards and showing what he has in his hand. A lot of questionable, a lot of fraudulent behavior has been revealed, but when is it going to lead to the big question, you know, whether anyone, member of Trump’s staff, anyone in the Trump camp actually conspired with Russia to interfere in the election?

KIM: That is a question that only Robert Mueller and his team knows. I think there has been a sense for some time that Mueller’s activity is picking up as we have seen with the flurry of recent filings last week. He did go through a quiet time before the midterm elections here in the United States.

But in terms of who will get charged, what will happen, again, that’s something that the Special Counsel only knows, but I can also tell you that on Capitol Hill and here in Washington, there’s chatter that is ramping up about the political impact of these filings. Democrats have been -- Congressional Democrats have been pretty cautious to avoid that big “I” word, impeachment, surrounding President Trump for some time, but you’ve seen how Democratic lawmakers, powerful Democratic lawmakers have started to kind of dip their toes into this matter.

You have Jerry Nadler who is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, he will be the chairman next year and he says he’s looking at these filings and says certainly there are impeachable offense and not necessarily saying that he’s going to pursue that matter himself, but this becomes a major fight once Democrats officially take control of the House next year and there’s going to be a major - major battle as to how far to actually push potential impeachment proceedings.

Right now, Democrats are still being cautious, but the more information that we get, the more filings that we get that calculus could change.

LU STOUT: Yes, it’s going to get tougher at the White House and John Kelly is gone, you know, that was long expected. The search still on for the next Chief of Staff for Donald Trump. Who is going to be willing to step up and replace him?

KIM: That’s a great question. I also want to remind your viewers that remember the White House had said John Kelly would stay on through the 2020 reelection that ended up not being true and no one here in Washington really believed that, but there are several candidates that are in the running that the President is considering.

[08:25:07]

KIM: But his first choice, Nick Ayers, who is Vice President Pence’s current Chief of Staff who was widely expected to take that role or assume the White House Chief of Staff role has said he’s now out of the running. Our sources at the “Washington Post” told us that Trump - the President and Nick Ayers could not agree on kind of the terms of the employment. Nick Ayers wanted something more temporary, he has three young children, he wanted to go back to his home state of Georgia someday, and the President is really looking for someone who can stay on through the reelection campaign and kind of steer the ship of the White House and be that steady presence.

But we know that the Chief of Staff role is a difficult one for this White House, for this President. Reince Priebus the first Chief of Staff, he was unceremoniously told of the dismissal on Twitter. John Kelly, his clashes with the President have been legendary. So this is a job that, you know, it’s going to be very difficult to fill. There is Mick Mulvaney, the budget director is being talked about, the Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, Mark Meadows is a congressman from North Carolina who has been the President’s one of his most solid allies in Congress, but, again, who wants to take - who wants to take such a difficult job? It will be interesting to find out who ultimately assumes that role.

LU STOUT: Yes, Trump is head strong, he is impulsive, he is hard to wrangle. Seung Min Kim, we’ll leave it at that. Thank you so much. Talk again soon.

KIM: Thanks for having me.

LU STOUT: Now you’re watching “News Stream” and when we come back, meat and heat - that sizzle from the barbecue may have a lasting impact on the earth’s temperature.

Returning to breaking news, we learned just a short time ago, a source confirms to CNN that the British Prime Minister Theresa May will delay Tuesday’s planned vote on the Brexit agreement. This is the withdrawal agreement that she struck with other leaders of the European Union, the Prime Minister is now due to make a statement to Parliament with more details in just over two hours.

The uncertainty over the vote comes after an important decision from the European Union’s top court. It ruled that Britain has a right to unilaterally withdraw its notice to leave the EU up until the time the withdrawal agreement is concluded, but the uncertainty has led the British pound to fall to its lowest level in 18 months. We will have much more on this in the hours ahead.

One point five degrees Celsius, if the earth’s temperature rises any more than that, the damage to our planet could be disastrous.

[08:30:10]

LU STOUT: Now, nations gathering in Poland, they are working to keep global warming under two degrees, but experts warn that may not be enough because we are already seeing the impacts of sea level rise and more extreme weather events. At 1.5 degrees above pre industrial levels, the effects of climate change grow more and more rapidly.

CNN is exploring the consequences of past inaction and what comes next if warming does not stop at that critical threshold. A belching coal plant or a crowded highway may be the most visible examples of greenhouse gas emissions but it turns out some of the contributors to climate change aren’t that obvious.

As Nick Paton Walsh reports, the one overlooked factor has been beef production.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: What do you eat and what does it cost you? The planet. Your children’s future. How does it affect our struggle to limit global warming to just 1.5 degrees Celsius?

Texas is the beef capital of America, the world. Meat was once a luxury, but now it’s a decor of life here, it’s a tribal symbol. Meet Bevo the steer, the mascot. The grill out, burger, sausage, steak, ribs. Excess is the point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So beef and climate change, how are they related?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don’t be asking me that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not today because this is delicious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PATON WALSH: Beef and dairy agriculture are a key and often overlooked cause of the greenhouse gases humankind must rapidly curtail if we want to live like we do now. This amphitheater of teenage dreams glows now but it’s for a generation who may see these excesses, these heights of everything being everywhere and cheap end in their lifetime.